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Quick Critiques – Dec. 4, 2006

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52 Week 30 (DC Comics)
by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Joe Bennett & Ruy Jose/Mark Waid & Duncan Rouleau

This weekly series has proven itself to be a major success for DC Comics, and this particular issue, given its cover and content, should have been something of a milestone for the title. Sure, there have been Clark Kent appearances earlier in the series, this is the first time one of DC’s big three characters has been the focus of the plot. Unfortunately, the writers don’t provide enough detail and context for the Batman/Bruce Wayne story to allow the readership to enjoy it. For example, there’s no indication where on the globe the plot begins, and there’s little indication as to what has finally broken the Bat, what has caused this personal crisis. What I did appreciate in the plot is Renee Montoya’s gradual transformation into the Question’s replacement. I love that we’ve really seen the character grow over the course of the past 30 weeks. The art by Joe Bennett is fairly standard fare, but some lack of clarity in the visuals also contributes to the confusion in the Batman plotline. The two-page Metal Men origin story that serves as a backup feature is, not surprisingly, a lot of fun. Given Dr. Will Magnus’s prominent role in this series, it’s too bad the creators didn’t get around to it sooner. Duncan Rouleau’s art for the feature is some of the best work I’ve seen from him. His exaggerated style suits the morphing characters, and Rouleau offers up some tight, crisp linework here. 5/10

Hellgate: London #0 (Dark Horse Comics)
by Ian Edginton & Steve Pugh

This zero issue tees up not only the main plot of the remainder of this limited series but a video-game release as well. Now, I have little interest in gaming — my home is devoid of any box, cube, station or “wii” — but I have to admit that writer Ian Edginton does a decent job of setting the stage and getting the reader to care about a small cast of characters. Lord Sumerisle, the old warrior, is a noble and impressive figure, and the resourcefulness of the intelligence agent tasked with monitoring him makes her likeable as well. The premise is pretty basic, and the designs for the monsters are far from the most imaginative or gruesome I’ve seen. Otherwise, Steve Pugh’s art is impressive. There’s a greater level of detail to be found here that’s a bit reminiscent of what we’ve seen as of late from Luke (Samurai: Heaven and Hell, Jonah Hex) Ross. The shots of London in the opening scene are convincing and impressive, and Dan Jackson’s colors glow with an eerie energy that’s in keeping with the supernatural/horror elements of the plot. 6/10

The Immortal Iron Fist #1 (Marvel Comics)
by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja, Travel Foreman & Derek Fridolfs

Brubaker and Fraction tackle a Herculean task. Not only do they have to transform a zen master of martial arts — a living weapon trained in a mystical land that time forgot — into a character to which the reader can relate, but the title character in question is also a Bill Gates-like tycoon with unlimited means. He’s a perfect physical specimen, fighting machine and a rich boy. How is the reader supposed to like him? The writers accomplish their goal in part with some down-to-earth dialogue but moreso by focusing on his conscience. he’s portrayed as an ethical CEO — almost implausibly so, given that he torpedoes a deal he’s known has been in the works for ages. Another appealing aspect of the book is the balance between a darker, more reflective tone in the storytelling and a clear effort to embrace old-school Marvel elements, such as killer robots and the hordes of Hydra. David Aja’s art is lovely; I’m reminded of Alex Maleev’s and Michael Lark’s efforts on Daredevil. Travel Foreman’s opening contribution is rather Quesada-esque, and I appreciated the effort to distinguish visually the prologue from the main story. On top of that, bringing an Iron Fist legacy into the plot is a smart move, as I found it intriguing. I don’t know where this book is going yet, but I’m definitely curious to find out. 7/10

The Official Handbook of the Invincible Universe #1 (Image Comics)
by various writers & artists

This two-part limited series should appeal to two disparate audiences. First of all, given the clear imitation of the Marvel Comics Official Handbook style of the 1980s (with an acknowledgement here to the influence of the late Mark Gruenwald), older comics readers such as myself are going to enjoy revisiting the format (just as some of us did with the recent release of Essential editions of the old Marvel Universe handbooks). Furthermore, I think this clean and comprehensive character-profile format will appeal to newer readers who may not be familiar with it. The art shows off the strong sense of design that’s been a big part of the appeal of the Invincible series as well. I was surprised to find that Robert Kirkman and the series artists themselves didn’t have much of a hand in the actual production of this volume, but it really only shows in the credits. The only real flaw with this book is that while it embraces that strong Marvel format from yesteryear, the characters don’t boast the same level of history. The Invincible Universe really isn’t that big a place yet, and by using a format that was designed and used to catalog decades of comics storytelling, it tends to spotlight the short-lived nature of the core property. Still, this is a fun book and a great way for new readers to delve into Robert Kirkman’s strongest super-hero writing. 6/10
Note: This comic book is slated for release Dec. 4.

Savage Dragon #130 (Image Comics)
by Erik Larsen

Imagine it… Captain Marvel (DC’s mightiest mortal) is struck down facing off against Galactus, the world-eater from the Marvel Universe. All seems lost as the Earth is about to be consumed like a slice of delectable cheesecake when Superman rushes in and saves the day, eradicating the cosmic threat. It sounds like a fanboy’s wet dream, and it reads like one too. Larsen essentially tells such a fanfic story here, using thinly disguised versions of the iconic DC and Marvel characters, with the Dragon thrown into the middle of things to… well, accomplish little. The ham-fisted action plotting is followed by page upon page of exposition to explain that there are two parallel dimensions in play here and that not everyone on this Earth is where s/he belongs. It’s convoluted, even by super-hero genre standards, and it’s an arduous read. The artwork matches the over-the-top tone of the story, and Larsen offers up many homages to the storytelling of the late Jack Kirby. The lettering is terribly roughshod, almost to the point of being unprofessional (but not quite). The backup features are no more thought provoking or original. All one needs to know about the extra material is that it’s dominated by the image of a red-skinned woman with cannons for tits. 3/10

Ultimate Power #2 (Marvel Comics)
by Brian Michael Bendis, Greg Land & Matt Ryan

Brian Michael Bendis is a clever writer when it comes to super-heroes. His dialogue is snappy and entertaining. He brings some credibility and tension to what could have ended up as typical super-hero action. And he handles this huge cast of characters quite well, introducing the players fairly clearly while still reinforcing the confusion that results in a customary battle among heroes. But Bendis isn’t so clever a super-hero writer to hide the fact that nothing happens in this issue but an extended fight scene. At first, I was impressed with the notion that beings from another dimension would speak another language or at least could not be comprehended due to some sci-fi, quantum-physics divide. But the language barrier turns out to be fleeting, a means to keep the players scrapping. Land handles the choreography of the over-the-top genre action quite well, given the number of characters punching, kicking, blasting and contorting around and at one another. In the end, the story is shaping up to be a Fantastic Four tale above all else, and on that level, I’m somewhat interested. But the decompressed storytelling is frustrating. 6/10

December 4, 2006 Don MacPherson

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8 thoughts on “Quick Critiques – Dec. 4, 2006”

  1. Hellhound says:
    December 5, 2006 at 7:58 pm

    This was by far the weakest issue of 52 yet IMO. The Batman storyline was so disjointed it was borderline incomprehensible. Unfortunately, it appears that the writers only have maybe 26 issues worth of intersting ideas and are padding out the rest of the series.

    Ultimate Power is an ultimate mess. As you noted, the language problem didn’t even turn out to be an excuse for the two teams to fight, just to draw out the fight longer. I also don’t see how we’re supposed to believe the Squadron can hold their own against virtually every major hero in the ultimate universe if they can’t even take down the FF, Spidey, and Kitty Pryde in short order.

  2. Frankskee says:
    December 5, 2006 at 9:39 pm

    I think Ult. Power is great. I’m unfamiliar with the Squadron Supreme, and am intrigued to see how a face-off between these super-powered beings from a differnt dimension and the Marvel heroes will turn out. I think the FF holding their own against them is a testament to how powerful the FF are, and I had no trouble with the feasibility of that, especially considering I know almost nothing about the Squadron’s powers.

  3. Hellhound says:
    December 6, 2006 at 12:34 am

    The Squadron are mostly analogs for JLA members. So we’re really being asked to believe that the FF and Spider-man are fighting Superman, Batman, the Flash, Green, Lantern, Wonder Woman, Firestorm, Zatanna,the Atom, plus two others to a stand still.

    If we’re supposed to buy that, then the rest of the story should be over in two seconds once the Ultimates and the X-men show up.

  4. JohnnyZito says:
    December 6, 2006 at 12:41 am

    The Ultimate Power storyline has only served to turn the characters from Supreme Power into the “Ultimate” Squadron Supreme.

    This is the Squad’s origin in the Marvel Universe; their world gets destroyed so they come to ours.

    I guess that only makes sense. They’ll most likely stick around too considering what JMS said about there being repercussions.

    I didn’t think much happened either and was disappointed that the goofy speak wasn’t permanent.

  5. Hellhound says:
    December 6, 2006 at 10:02 pm

    From what I’ve heard, only one character will be permanently switching universes in Ultimate Power. Don’t know if it will be an Ultimate character getting stuck in the Squadron universe, or vice-versa.

  6. MW says:
    December 7, 2006 at 6:04 pm

    I’ve had no problem with the Ultimate Power story so far, but the art has made it almost unreadable for me. Greg Land can draw pretty things, but I like for characters to actually look the same from one panel to another. The photo-referencing is just too much for me.

  7. Frankskee says:
    December 8, 2006 at 2:32 pm

    Greg Land’s art is brilliant. People should realize it takes an extraordinary talent to draw “photorealistically” like Land does. I guess it is a matter of taste, as all art is, but to smear him for “photo-referencing” I think is simply not recognizing or appreciating the art for what it is. More often than not, it is the art that compels me to follow a book moreso than the story, unless the writing is extremely bad; but that’s what comics are, a medium and a source of art, which just as industry and medicine are indispensable to society, the same can be said about art.

  8. John Foley says:
    December 9, 2006 at 11:21 pm

    Of course every artist worth anything will use photo referencing, but this is excessive. Every panel featuring a female character looks like it was torn from a Victoria’s Secret catalog. And the layouts are abysmal. It’s impossible to discern what is happening. I used to love Land’s artwork, but it’s become simply too much. He photo-references to the point where there is no individual style at all. He could take a page from Bryan Hitch, who manages to combine realism with his own (though Alan Davis-inspired) style.

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